Portable-sewing-machine table



Dec. 5, 1961 K. A. BLEVINS PORTABLE-SEWING-MACHINE TABLE Filed July 20. 1959 IN VEN TOR.

KENNETH A. BLE w/vs United States Patent Ofiice 3,011,846 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,846 1 a PORTABLE-SEWING-MACHINE TABLE Kenneth A. Blevins, Missoula, Mont, assignor to Type- WritaDesk Manufacturing Co., Inc., Missoula, Mont, a corporation of Montana Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,105 Claims. (Cl. 311-12) 'ventional sewing machine since the base, portion of the sewing machine mechanism is located in a narrow, elongated housing or arm that extends horizontally to the left from the main vertical support column at the right end of the machine, as viewed by the operator during normal use. The entire machine, including said housing, is mounted above a base member, and the arm is therefore free from attachment except at the right end thereof. This free-arm type of machine has been found particularly useful and advantageous whensewing tubular clothing a members such as shirt-sleeves and trouser legs, and for sewing childrens clothing, since the garment can be conveniently slipped directly over the open end of the cautilever type arm and into alignment with the sewing mechanism.

Although a free-arm machine has certain advantages as described above, there is a disadvantage in the fact that the top surface of the arm is relatively small as compared with the working surface of a regular machine, and the free-arm machine has therefore been found to be less desirable when used for more conventional flat sewing, unless mounted in an elaborate sewing-machine cabinet having a movable surface that can be positioned to extend the working surface. Thus, the free-arm type of machine has gained little public acceptance for use as a portable-sewing-machine, since a person purchasing a portable machine generally objects to the greater cost and size of the cabinet that is required to obtain general utility from the freeearmmachine.

I have overcome this problem by providing an inexpensive and convenient table for the free-arm type of sewing machine. My table has a hinged surface that can be positioned to extend the working surface, or folded to a position where the garment can be conveniently slipped over the arm in the usual manner.

Thus, it is a principal object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive table structure which conveniently supports a free-arm type portable-sewing-machine, with a movable surface that can be positioned to permit ready access to the sewingmachine arm or to extend the working surface of the machine.

Other objects and features of my invention will become evident upon examination of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of my table, and shows a free-arm sewing machine located for normal use;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the upper surface of my table;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the lower surface of my table; and

FIGURE 4 is a bottom perspective view of the upper surface of my table, with the hinges cracked.

' 7 Detailed description My invention will be best understood by reference to sewing machine.

FIGURE 1, wherein a typical free-arm sewing machine 17, indicated in broken lines, is located for normal use with the upper surface 10 disposed to extend the working surface of the machine. Lower surface 20 supports the sewing machine. Legs 30, which are preferably hingemounted (not shown) so as to fold up against the surface 20, are arranged to support the surface 20 in a horizontal plane, and at a level whereby the sewing-machine is located at a convenient working height.

Upper surface 10 includes a stationary rear member 11, and two hinged members 12 and 13. Member 11 is securely attached to surface'20 by spacers 23 and screws or other suitable means (not'shown), and in a plane parallel to surface 20 with the top of surface 11 located so as to be generally co-planar with the working surface of a typical free-arm machine.

Member 12 is hinge-mounted to member 11 along linear edge 18, by meansof hinges 14 and 1-5 and screws 'or other suitable mounting means (not shown). When it is desiired to slip a garment over the end of the sewingmachine arm, it is merely necessary to fold member 12 to the rear, until it is lying flat on top of member 11, thereby exposing the entire sewing machine to ready access. Spacer 21 is attached to the underside of'member 12', and rests on surface 20 to hold surface 11 in the horizontal plane when positioned to extend the working surface. 7

Member 13 is provided to facilitate the folding-back of member 12. It should be noted that members 12 and 13 are each formed with an individual notch along one edge, the adjacent and complementary relation of said notches being effective to provide a U-shaped slot 16 which is effective to receive the arm of the sewing machine. Slot 7 16 is normally only slightly wider than the sewing-machine arm, to avoid excessive gaps therebetween, and

has sufiicient length to extend well back along the arm as shown. Thus, as member 12 is folded back, the edge of slot 16 onmember 13 tends to strike the top of the sewing machine, and interfere'with the free movement of member 12. i

This interference is eliminated by the'hinge-mounting of member 13 to member 12 along edge 19, using spring loaded hinges 24 as shown in FIGURE 4. When member 12 is initially raised to be folded back, member 13' is folded downward along edge 19 and can thereby be moved conveniently to therear past the left end ofthe V Spacer 22" is securely attached to the underside of member 13 and serves to prevent the 'down- Ward fold of member 13 during normal use of the machine with surface 10 positioned to extend the working surface as shown in FIGURE 1.

In view of the above, it is apparent that my table can be constructed so as to be inexpensive and light in weight, and it can be conveniently stored through use of collapsible (or removable) legs. Furthermore, the hinged members forming the top surface make it possible to conveniently extend the working surface of the machine, or have free access to the arm of the sewing machine, without having to move the machine.

What has been described is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it should be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A table for supporting a free-arm type portable-sewing-machine at a convenient working height and extending the working surface thereof, said table comprising: a first surface for supporting said machine; collapsible leg means securely attached to the underside of said first surface, effective when collapsed to facilitate convenient storage of said table, and effective when extended to support said first surface in a horizontal plane and maintain said working surface at said convenient height; a second surface securely attached to said first surface so as to be laterally displaced from said machine, and arranged in a horizontal plane above said first surface and co-planar with said working'surface; a third surfacehinge-mounted to said second surface so as to be co-planartherewith in one position to thereby extend said working surface, and supported thereon in a second position so as to enable free access to said arm, said thirdsurface having a notch along one edge thereof; and a fourth surface hingemounted to said third surface so as to be normally coplanar therewith, and having a notch therein complementary to said first mentioned notch and effective therewith to define an elongated slot adapted to receive said arm, said fourth surface hinge-mounting being effective to facilitate the movement of said third surface between said positions without moving said machine. I

2. A table for supporting a free-arm type portable-sewing-machine, said machine being characterized by an elongated base portion having a main support-column perpendicularly mounted at one end thereof, said column supporting a cantilever type elongated housing above said base portion and generally parallel thereto, with the base portion of the sewing machine mechanism located in said arm at the free end thereof, and the top surface of said arm forming the working surface of the machine, said table comprising: a first horizontally supported surface having a linear edge, and adapted to support said machine with the lengthof said base portion positioned along said linear edge and said free arm extending to the left of said column as viewed during normal machine use; a second surface having a length greater than the 7 length of said first surface, securely mounted to said first surface so as to be positioned in the horizontal plane of said working surface and laterally displaced from said machine with a linear edge thereof parallel to said first}.

surface linear edge and the left end thereof extending beyond the vertical projection of said first surface; and a third surface hinge-mounted along a linear edge thereof to the left end of said second surface linear edge so as to pivot about an axis lying parallel to the plane of said workingsurface and be co-planar therewith in a first position to thereby extend said working surface to the left and front of said machine, and supported thereon in a folded back second position thereof to thereby enable access to said free end of said arm.

3. A table for supporting a free-arm type portable-sewing-machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said third sur- 5 face comprises; a first member including said hinged edge and having a notch along a second edge thereof, and a third linear edge transverse to said hinged edge'tothe left of said arm; and a second member hinge-mounted along a linear edge thereof to said first member so as to be normally co-planar therewith, and having a notch therein complementary to said first mentioned notch and effective therewith to define an elongated slot adapted to fit along a portion of said arm, said second member hinge mounting being effective to facilitate the movement of said third surface between said first andsecond positions without moving said machine.

4. A table for supporting a free'arm type portable-sewiing-machine at a convenient working height and extending the working surface thereof, said table comprising: a

first horizontally supported surface for supporting said machine; a second surface securely attached to said first surface so as to be laterally displaced from s'aidmachine, and arranged to lie in a horizontal plane above said first surface and co-planar with said working surface; and a third surface having an elongated slot therein 'hing'emounted to said second surface so as to pivot about an axis lying parallel to the plane of said workingsurface, said third surface being co-planar with said second surface in one position with said arm located in said .slot,

to thereby extend said working surface, and supported thereon in a folded-back second position so as to enable ree access to said arm. a

5. A table for supporting a sewing'machine and extending the working surface thereof, comprising: a member for supporting said machine; a first surface securely attached to said supporting member was to be laterally displaced from said'machine in ahorizontal plane that is co-planar with said working surface; a second surface hinge-mounted to said first surface so as to be co -planar therewith in one position, and supported thereon in a second position, said second surface having anotch along :one edge thereof; and'a third surface hinge-mounted to said second surface, so as to be normally c'o-planar there-. with, and having a notch therein complementary to said first mentioned notch and effective therewith to define an elongated slot adapted to receive said machine, said third surface hinge mounting being effective to facilitate the movement of said second surface between said positions without moving said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

